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It has been fun on Blogger, but I am officially making the leap over to WordPress. Come on over with me and subscribe to Coffee Slinging Theology via RSS (simply click this link and add it to your favorites bar).

Thanks for your readership. I look forward to your comments!

Zack

How to respond when I feel mistreated

Luke 10:27, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Loving people is not as easy as it sounds. People can be grumpy, hateful, backstabbing, greedy, prideful, quirky, accusatory, snarky (love that word), or just plain MEAN, but that doesn’t give us reason to return the favor.

2 Timothy 2:23–26, “Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

Jesus calls us the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). We are called to live out the message of the Gospel as we function as divine ambassadors to those around us. In likeness of Jesus, this could mean speaking boldly against the accepted norm or possibly allowing someone to nail us to a cross.

So, how then do we know how God wants us to respond in different situations?

The answer lies in the objective foundation of Scripture. Therein, we find loving others may mean praying for them (Matt. 5:44), asking for or giving forgiveness (Col. 3:12-14), confrontation (Prov. 27:5), or submission (Eph. 5:21). What to do in different situations may vary, so that’s why we not only need the Scriptures, but also the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture guides us. The Spirit leads and empowers us.

One caution when dealing with difficult people or situations is to guard against bitterness and resentment. When we are on the blunt edge of gossip, slander, hate, backstabbing, church divisions and factions, etc... It is fairly easy to give into the bitterness, turn inward, or lash out in defense. At such times, I’ve found the greatest release is to take Jesus example (Luke 23:34) and simply forgive and pray for God to bless those that hurt me.

It's hard to hear God’s direction in a situation when resentment or bitterness dominates us. Prayer and forgiveness release us to hear the Holy Spirit clearly, which in turn helps us to respond Christ-like in any given situation.

The Vision

Love the poem.

Sweet song too.

Brilliant Worship! Powerful Message!

Lately, I have been listening to the new Elevation Worship CD entitled We Are Alive.

"Sing Forever" is one that I seem to keep coming back to, but most all the songs have kept me humming the past few weeks. Listen here.

By the way, Steven Furtick (Pastor, Elevation Church) has never ceased to amaze me when he preaches. Last Sunday he preached a message called "Conflict" in a series entitled Visionary Love, Dream Sex.

If you are married, and ever had conflict (I know it's rare, but you can always prepare for the future...) you need to watch it!

Anyone scared?

Never read the book, but it looks like Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker might rock my face off with House, opening November 7.

Beer commercials & church?

These commercials stand out in a sea of utterly apathetic advertising. The marketing is incredible. Want to know what this commercial has to do with church? Prodigal Jon nails it here.

Christian Bloggers Network on Facebook

I just ran across the Christian Bloggers Network (CBN) on Facebook and thought it was a cool idea. Check it out and see who's blogging near you!

Friends with double vision

Thursday before a 3-day weekend... I love the anticipation!

Allow me to take a moment and introduce you to a young couple new to the blog-o-sphere. Meet Josh and Rachel.


They, along with their daughter Abigail, live in Kansas City. They have a heart to to serve the Lord and are a very creative couple. Keep an eye on their writings as they navigate the journey God sets before them. I'm sure you'll find some rich insight, raw honesty, humorous antidotes and a story in the making.

Read their blog here.

When people bark | part 2

Sometimes people can bark. Among the many experiences I have had with such people—one stands shoulders above the rest.

I was working as supervisor at a coffeehouse in Kansas City when Rufus (whose name has obviously been changed) walks in and orders a frozen yogurt in a cup.

“Sure thing!” I replied as I walked over to the frozen yogurt machine, grabbed a cup and proceeded to swirl the yogurt into it twisted ever so stylishly. I then slid the plastic spoon into the treat and handed the cup of frozen perfection to Rufus.

His expression changed at that moment from great anticipation to obvious disgust. With scary fixed gaze locked on me alone, he meandered slowly to the trash and dropped the whole cup of yogurt in with a loud THUD.

I experienced in that moment what I like to call “hot nerves” running up and down my 6’1” frame as I felt somewhat offended and caught off guard. Something was obviously not quite right here.

So once again Rufus repeated the order he spouted just an eternal minute earlier. Didn’t I just do that? Is this guy psycho?

“I just made that for you… was there something wrong?” I managed to sputter out of my shocked expression.

With utter disdain, much like Seinfeld addressed Newman, he said, “You placed the spoon in the yogurt.”

“I did. Did you not want a spoon?”

“Not in my yogurt. That spoon touched the counter.”

“Actually, sir, I placed it on a napkin.”

“Same difference. I want a new one.”

Lightbulb—This man suffers from OCD! That changes everything!

As the hot nerves subsided, I carefully made the next frozen yogurt and handed the spoon wrapped cautiously in a tissue directly to Rufus. He was happy.

My understanding of the matter had dramatically altered my reaction as well as my attitude.

You see, from that moment on, instead of fearing the mean, demanding, quirky guy I chose to go out of my way to serve him the best I could without allowing his rough edges to bother me. I think after awhile he came to appreciate my attitude (despite his bark), for he would specifically ask others if I could be the one to serve him.

And when he thought I wasn’t looking, he began to quietly drop a few coins in the tip jar.

When people bark | Part 1

Whenever I walk by the fence that borders my drive and the neighbors yard, their little Chihuahua sneaks up on me and begins to bark like crazy—swirling in circles and trying to look all tough. For about a year the little rodent made me jump and get what I call “hot nerves” because he always seemed to come out of nowhere and startle me. He really knew how to tick me off.

However, about two months ago something strange happened. Pulling into the drive, I noticed the lil’ noisemaker crouched in the corner of the neighbors yard. Slowly I turned the car off and watched as he stalked closer and closer like a cougar ready to pounce on its’ prey. Cautiously I stepped out from the car and without notice he charged and began his notorious bark-swirls.

Oddly enough, that was the moment I realized that this dog actually likes me.

Sometimes in similar fashion people come at us all the wrong way. For whatever reason, they bark, swirl and continuously catch us off guard. They might try to intimidate us or cause us to react in a negative way. It’s almost as if they find enjoyment in this like the small dog that can make a grown man jump.

The dilemma for us arises when we interpret their “bark” as an attack and defensively react in a negative way. Reacting in a negative way or out of emotion is never a good thing. But how can we react positively if someone is constantly coming at us?

The answer lies in our perspective of the situation.

What we might not realize is that most of the time these people are just lonely and trying to seek attention in all the wrong ways. It’s almost as if causing a reaction from someone (even negative) brings some sort of significance to their life. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this is right or acceptable behavior, but as the recipient of such behavior we must learn to deal with negatives in a positive way as to maintain our own good character.

In the case of lil’ Cujo, I chose to see the barking, swirling and intimidation as his way of playing a game with me. As he tries to scare me, I bring enjoyment to his day. This perspective changed our daily meeting in a dramatic way. No longer do I dread the noisy barks from this taco bell dog, but rather look forward to seeing him because I know deep down, in a twisted way, he loves our time together. If he catches me off guard and makes me jump—he wins. If I spot him sneaking up on me—I win. This perspective might not be based in reality, but it helps me to love the little monster. Sounds weird, I know, but it helps my attitude anyway.

The fact is our perspective matters and makes all the difference! As we challenge ourselves to look for something positive in negative situations or people, we will inevitably change how we react to their barks and swirls. By lightening up and reacting in a more positive way, we can reduce stress and enjoy the interactions with others that we previously dreaded the most.

Proverbs 25:21-22, “If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.” (The Message)

If someone barks at you today, maybe just smile and compliment them some way in return. I would love to hear your experiences and/or feedback on this. Part 2 of this post will deal with some specific examples of how I changed my perspective in real life situations. Stay tuned….